_**Serviceable but forgettable Brosnan installment**_
After a British warship is inexplicably destroyed in Chinese waters, the planet teeters on the brink of world war. Agent 007 (Pierce Brosnan) traces the rising pandemonium to a powerful media baron who manipulates vital data and news to his own diabolical ends (Jonathan Pryce). Teri Hatcher plays the industrialist’s wife while Michelle Yeoh is on hand as a Chinese agent with whom Bond teams up.
"Tomorrow Never Dies" (1997) is a competent enough Bond flick with loads of action highlighted by the opening terrorist arms bazaar on the Russian border, a melee at a newspaper factory in Hamburg, an underwater investigation of a wreck near the South China Sea and a wild motorcycle chase in Saigon with 007 handcuffed to the Chinese agent. Hatcher is another highlight in one of the best “whoa, mama” moments in the franchise’s history, albeit brief. I also enjoyed the entertaining banter for the first two-thirds of the movie.
Unfortunately, the picture lacks the colorful dynamic of pre-Brosnan installments, hampered by a muted grey pall throughout. Then there’s the eye-rolling sequence in a parking garage where Bond operates his BMW via remote control while lying in the back seat (Why Sure!). Plus the showdown on Carver's stealth ship in dark waters is curiously dull despite all the “exciting” thrills; in other words, it’s overkill action garbage.
Still, it’s a serviceable Bond flick; it’s just forgettable and the least of Brosnan’s 4-film stint.
The film runs 1 hour, 58 minutes, and was shot in Bayonne, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France
(Arms bazaar opening sequence); many locations in England; Hamburg, Germany; Thailand (standing in for Vietnam); and Rosarito, Baja California Norte, Mexico (naval scenes).
GRADE: B-/C+
Pierce Brosnan wasn't my favourite James Bond by any means, but somehow I think that might be as much to do with the fact that he was given some really weak storylines to deliver. This one centres around megalomaniac media mogul "Carver" (Jonathan Pryce) who manages to engineer a deadly conflict between the Royal Navy and the Chinese military over a mis-directed destroyer. Next thing we know, "007" is drafted in to find out just what happened before the world finds itself facing an international conflagration that seems designed to ensure that "Carver" gets media rights in the hitherto unwilling China. They, too, are suspicious at the turn of events, so despatch their top agent "Wai Lin" (Michelle Yeoh) and together they must combine their resources to combat the menacing henchman "Stamper" (Götz Otto) and the quirkily engaging "Dr. Kaufman" (Vincent Schiavelli) whose film-stealing scene as the dapper, yet lethal, assassin does raise a smile. Teri Hatcher provides the short-lived love interest. An unremarkable actress at the best of times, she brings a little glamour but very little else to this frequently rather (contrived) dialogue-heavy enterprise. Dame Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer renew their long established partnership for a few scenes, and Desmond Llewellyn gets a few extra ones which is nice to watch. Otherwise, this is just another fairly charm-free, factory produced instalment of a franchise that is struggling to make impact amongst an increasingly more competitive genre that is out-writing and out-impressing this tried looking series.
Solid second entry for Brosnan who still is charming. Not a great story but still timely with news and manipulation. Does make me appreciate the slower, more character driven nature of the Craig run, that this one was lacking, That said, Pryce made for a fun Bond villain. **3.5/5**
There is some hate on this one, but, honestly, it's one of my favorites and certainly my favorite Brosnan 007.
We get a lackluster opening (as far as 007 openings go) but that is followed by a theme song by Crow who, well, she nailed it didn't she? Tomorrow Never Dies sounded like the jazzy intro to a Connery Era 007 didn't it? It was probably the best Bond song since The Spy Who Loved Me.
Brosnan is a little more cold blooded in this, you catch glimpses of 007 being Connery/Dalton/Flemming Era 007 again. He doesn't shy away from executions with a cunning quip.
But, honestly, it's Michelle Yeoh's Wai Lin that really puts it over-the-top and makes it the best of the Dalton Era 007's. He has met his match with this Chinese counterpart who, and he has certainly done it before, but this time she comes across as clearly being as good as Bond himself. And that was a delight.
And then the plot, media manipulation, probably far more relevant in 2020 than it was in 1997, but watching it now rings true as completely believable ala Spanish American War this has happened before, but this time it could go nuclear sort of story.
All in all, it is one of the best 007 films ever made.
